Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-03-22
THE NEW CRUISERS.
Bids for Steel FOrgings for Guns and
ArmOr Plates.
NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES, OF STEEL AND IRos
MEN AT THE NAVY DEPARTMENT.

for steel forgngs for guns and for armor plate for
tne new cruisers There was quite gathering OF
the representatives Of steel and iron firms depart
ment officials and newspaper men about the long
table In the secretary's room, as Secretary Whit
ney began opening the bids In person on the stroke
of twelve.
Mr.. Davenport was the representative OF the
Midvale Steel company present, and the Beth
lehem Iron company was represented by Messrs.
James Wharton, JnO. Fritz and Robert Sayre The
Cambria iron company, OF JohnstOwn, Pa, was
were the bids: For 1.3lO tons OF gun steel
Iorglngs-Cam0r1a Iron company, 1851, 1880;
Bethlehem Bet Iron company, ssoe a3o 20; Mid.
armor plate, about $500 tons: Bethlehem Iron
company, $500, 30; Cleveland Rolling Mill
pany was the only firm that made bid for both
the the gun forgings and the armor plate The bid
was ACCOMPANIED by explanatory statements that
Z years. instead Of III ~ S''ty years s''nas as
connection with each other in view of the an
nouncement in the circular that everything being
equal preference would be given to the firms bid
read showing the ability OF the firm to turn out
the work desired. The appropriation under which
the bdS were advertised for was in the act to in
crease the naval establishment approved August
3 1856 and amounts to 81 Pts 600, after deducting
$loO,OOO Tor improvements at the Washington
yard and $40, 600 for torpedoes The appropriation
is not regarded as fina and therefore the depart
ment is not restricted to the above amount in
making these contracts.
SECRETARY WHITNEY PLEASED WITH THE RESULT OF
THE BIDDING.
The Secretary Of the Navy expressed himself as
greatly pleased with the result OF the bidding for
the production in this country OF armor and gun
steel. He said: ''There are only two bidders to
produce the armor, but the bid OF the Bethlehem
company as there is in the United States and the
prices named are very low. II Is OF very little
sequence now tnat the fortications bill failed in
the last Congress- The first thing needed for fOrti-
cations and the navy is plant to make armOr
and gun Steel 1t takes two and half years to
erect 1t; 1t costs couple of millions The result of
this bidding secures it. 1t occurred to me last
July that instead of contracting out our new ar
mored ships in the usual way,-the contractor TO
been purchased abroad, would put together the
armor for all OF them and all the gun steel re-
quired for their armament. to see if that
would not induce responsible party to un-
dertake the work in this country. l put the
time for the bidding after the adjournment
OF Congress SO as to have the benefit OF broader
plan If a bill on fortifications should be passed
Its failure was disappointment, but it has re-
suited all right, and the best OF all is that the
have had to pay for the same arInor bought
abroad and laid down here duties paid under our
laws. so that the additional cost to Is nothing
and we will have plant in this country adequate
to our needs Nothing has occurred In my time
here OF equal consequence to the new navy. That
Is the way in which look at it, You will find it
treated OF in my last annual report. The subject
has also been considered by the two boards spe-
cially appointed and two committees OF Congress
tons, the Hawley committee OF the Senate and
the Randall committee, each made elaborate in
vestigations of this subject. 1t has been made to
seem 70 be 700 Dig question, think. Congress
shrunk from the enormous expenditures suggested.
A little thing has solved It: after ALL
MARITAL TROUBLES AND A AREvoLvER-Andrew L.
Barber coored man, who says he is a deserter
rom the navy, was before Judge Smell this morn
complaint OF his (Barbers) wife, who resides on
street, between 1st and 2d streets northwest.
turned to her fathers house Sunday night he was
not permitted to enter, and had some angry words
with his father-in-law. When he left he threat
ened to return armed Yesterday morning he
| came back, when the officer arrested him and
found large revolver in his pocket. Barber said
his home was in Montana. The officer, expecting
phOned the news to the navy yard, but he says he
was notified that the defendant was not wanted
there. The court imposed fine OF $50 or ninety
days
A SHOOTING CAsE-Webster Banks, a young col
ored man, who was in the Police Court this after
noon charged with assaulting with intent to
kill William Price, also cOlOred, pleaded snOt
guilty." Price testified that about six O'Clock
yesterday afternoon party OF young men
were on lot near Goth and L streets skylark-
ing. Witness bet Jim johnson fifty cents that he
(JOhnSOn) could not strike witness in the eye in
f1ve minutes, and defendant held the stakes Wit
ness wOn and when he went after defendant for
the money johnson struck him with brick. An
instant later johnson and the defendant drew
their revolvers and began firing. Witness thought
that bullet from Johnson's revolver struck him
In the jaw. Another witness gave similar testi-
mOny, and the Case was sent TO the grand Jury:
Dohus $ooO.
Order OF HibernianS, OF this city, have opened q
new division, to be known as "DiviSion No. 3"
5ee
Patrick Haley, president; Thomas keliher, vice
president; william J; Crompton. financial secre-
tary; Edward T. McQueeney, recording secretary;
Hugh +. McQueeney, treasurer.
The MARYLAND DRMocRATs-At a meeting last
evening Of the Maryland Democratic association
X. o. EdmonStOn, president Albert H. Carr, police
commissioner OF Baltimore, delivered an address.
caster Is president, at meeting Saturday evening
established a literary bureau, composed Of one
member from each county in the state of Maryland
and two from Baltimore city, with Mr.. o. I. Beau
mont, of Baltimore county, as chairman.
THE WASHINGTON NJ. E CONFERENCE-At the
session OF the Washington N. E. Conference, at
Abingdon Va, yesterday, resolution was
adopted returning thanks to the Daughters OF
Sidney, J. LOgg1ns. N. Jackson, P. Brown, j.
owens w. A. ClaXtOn, Henry Williams, J. A.
H. Randall were continued on the superannuated
list. Nine persons were continued on probation
and one, r. j. Strother, was discontinued.
AN OLD WASHINGTON PRINTRR--Hon. Nicholas
Hetzel, OF New oxford, Pennsylvania is critically
Ill and is not expected to survive as he is over
eighty years OF age. Mr.. Hetzel was in early life
printer on the old Globe newspaper OF this city.
He moved to Ohio In 1885, and subsequently to
Adams county. Pa, and has several times repre-
sented that county in the legislature OF PennsyL
vania.
THEY THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE AN INTERNAL MA
CHINE.-About IL 80 O'Clock to-day j. NJ. Buchanan
and C. Esenger, two newSbOyS, picked up near
the street entrance to the patent Office a
tin cylinder 2 inches deep and IL inches in
diameter, Weighing about or ounces. One OF
them attempted to get into it by cutting, but only
raised enough OF the tin to show grains OF white
powder. The boys having read and heard con-
siderable OF dynamite and seeing that there was a
small aperture at each end OF the cylinder through
which fuse might be inserted took the box to
police headquarters and turned it over to Lieut..
SW1ndellS.
SUNDAY BARs.-Officers Bla1sden and Wagner,
recently appointed on the police force, were sent
out Sunday to look after the saloons along Penn
sylvan1a avenue in the first precinct, and yeSter-
day they SwOre Out warrants against Dennis j. 4.
Crowley, ESan L. johnson, Charles o. Brill Charles
H. WeSer, Selden and Robbins and Samuel OrriSOn,
for keeping their bars open. By direction OF Mr. Pad
gett, who proSecutes the cases In the Police Court
the parties named were notified to appear for tial
that no colateral would be permitted 20 be for,
feited. This action was taken in order that rec
ord might he made against the saloonkeepers, be
cause upon second conviction the law gives the
Commissioners power to revoke the license. This
morning in the POtceCOurt pleas OF guilty were
tered in the cases Of Selden and Robbins, Esau L.
johnson, Charles n. WeSer, and Charles o. Brill,
and q fine OF $50 or 30 days was imposed in each